Udhampur, July 16: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Sunday said Udhampur Parliamentary constituency, especially the Udhampur sector which also includes Katra and Reasi that were part of erstwhile Udhampur district, is going to offer a unique religious tourism circuit with the integrated development.
Dr Singh was referring to Rs 190 crore River Devika Rejuvenation Project, Rs 100 crore Central Mantalai Project, Mansar Lake Project under Central Swadesh Yojana, Sudh Mahadev, Surinsar, etc. He said this while convening a review meeting with the district administration Udhampur at Mantalai.
Referring to Mantalai Project, which was the venue of Sunday meeting, Dr Singh said, “The project was initially started by the late Dhirendra Brahamchari, who happened to be the Yog Guru of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and obtained the land on lease. However, midway through the project, Dhirendra Bhrahmchari suddenly died following an air crash accident and since then the successive Congress governments did not attend to it and allowed it to turn into a shambles.”
He, however, said it was only after the Modi government took over in 2014 that the project was revived nearly three decades later and now a state-of-the-art wellness centre cum tourist resort has come up at this location. Similar is the case of River Devika which had remained unattended all these years and only after Modi took over as Prime Minister, North India’s first-ever River Rejuvenation project was approved for the renovation and beautification of River Devika, which is held in holy esteem, he added.
Elaborating further, the union minister said the holy town of Katra Vaishno Devi got its railway station only after the Modi government took over in 2014 and now the entire area has been included in the national PRASAD scheme. In addition, the inter-modal Station, the holy spot of Sudhmahadev also received attention only after 2014 and now an alternative national highway is under construction for facilitating connectivity. “While Mantalai and Mansar are already being included in the official tourist circuit, Shiv Khori is also expected to become part of it in times to come,” he said.
Dr Jitendra observed with satisfaction, the neighbouring district of Kishtwar, the pilgrimage Machail Yatra lacked basic facilities. In the last 9 years, toilets and mobile towers were provided enroute the yatra and in the absence of power supply, exclusive Solar Power Plant has also been provided.
Dr Singh said the Udhampur Parliamentary Constituency is the infrastructural marvel and the best-ever connected constituency in the country, and has seen tremendous development in the last nine years. The Delhi Katra Express Highway, historic Kamakhya (Assam) to Katra (Vaishno Devi) train covering a distance of more than 2,000 Km and connecting the two important destinations of religious pilgrimage and Vande Bharat Express are among the best gifts provided by PM Narendra Modi giving boost to the religious tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, he added.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said, the religious tourism circuit in Udhampur Parliamentary Constituency has a very important role in the development and progress of the region as pilgrims across India have a desire to visit these religious sites. “From the very first day being sworn in as the Prime Minister of India, PM Narendra Modi put forward a vision to connect places of religious interest across the country with a safe, efficient and comfortable network,” he said.
